After 10-Year Wait, Anambra Set To Conduct Local Govt Elections As Assembly Passes Electoral Bill

The Anambra State House of Assembly on Wednesday passed a bill for a law to establish the state’s Independent Electoral Commission and for connected purposes.

The executive bill passed its second reading on Tuesday, May 28, after lawmakers made several contributions on the bill’s gains and its importance to the conduct of local government elections in the state.

The electoral law will be enacted on June 5, 2024, after the governor’s assent.

During Wednesday’s Plenary of the state House of Assembly, which was presided over by the Speaker, Somtochukwu Udeze, the state lawmakers resolved to the committee of the whole, where they took their turns going through the bill clause by clause, making necessary amendments and corrections.

Udeze, while reporting progress, commended the members for taking their time to do the needful and for contributing towards building a better Anambra State.

He said, “The bill when assented to, by the governor will set the ground for the executive arm to take steps towards the conduct of local government election in the state.”

After the session, the House, therefore, adjourned till Tuesday, June 4, 2024, for further legislative activities.

Speaking to journalists, the Deputy Speaker, Chukwuma Okoye, said the bill, no doubt will assist the working governor to conduct local government election which will in turn bring more development to all the 21 local government areas of the state.

Okoye, who represents Awka South constituency 2, said, “The state governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo has proven to be different from other politicians by promising and taken necessary steps towards conducting the grassroots election which have not been done in the state for a long period.”

Recall that it has been over 10 years that elections at the local government levels were held in Anambra State as the last one was held in the twilight of former Governor Peter Obi’s administration in 2014.

There has been widespread clamouring, especially from the opposition camps, for elections to be held at the 21 LGAs of the state, which have continuously been run through caretaker transition chairmen appointed by the state governor every three months.

A High Court sitting in Abuja, had last week, directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, to invite and interrogate the relevant officers of the Anambra State Government regarding the deployment of funds received between March 22, 2022, and April 30, 2024.

The court banned the 21 LGAs in the state from receiving allocations from the consolidated revenue funds, pending the determination of a suit that was brought before it.

The ruling delivered by Justice Bello Kawo, restrained the Accountant-General of the Federation and the Minister of Finance from remitting funds to the 21 LGAs of Anambra State from the federation account.

It equally ordered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, to probe how funds that accrued to the LGAs from March 2022 to April 2024, were deployed and used by the Anambra state government.

The orders followed an ex parte application that was filed by a legal practitioner, Mr Chukwuebuka Mmeni.